Tool for removing shingles from a skip sheet roof

ABSTRACT

A tool for removing shingles from a roof having skip sheeting comprises a lifting blade connected to a first end of a shaft, a handle attached to a second end of the shaft, and a fulcrum bar attached at a preferred vertical distance from a bottom surface of the lifting blade to a side of the shaft. A length of the fulcrum bar is selected to enable the fulcrum bar to rest on a top surface of two or more adjacent sheeting boards in a roof having skip sheeting. A position of the fulcrum bar on the shaft enables placement of the lifting blade between adjacent sheeting boards and below a back surface of a shingle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a tool for removing shinglesfrom a building roof and more specifically to a tool for removingshingles from a roof having skip sheeting.

BACKGROUND

Shingles on a building roof are generally attached with shinglefasteners such as nails, staples, or other removable fastening means toan underlying support layer known as sheathing or sheeting. Shingles areusually positioned on the sheeting with a portion of a shingleoverlapping one or more shingles and shingle fasteners lower down theslope of the roof. One form of sheeting comprises rows of woodensheeting boards with individual sheeting boards having a width of aboutfour inches and a thickness of about one inch. Adjacent rows of sheetingboards are separated by a distance about the same as the width of asheeting board. This form of sheeting, known as skip sheeting, issometimes used in roofs having wooden shingles. Skip sheeting allows airto circulate underneath the shingles to improve drying of wet shingles.

After being exposed to wind, sunlight, temperature changes, impacts, andother stresses, shingles must eventually be removed and replaced toprevent or correct roof leaks. In roofs having skip sheeting, sometimesthe shingles are removed by first removing the shingle fasteners fromthe row of shingles nearest the peak of the roof, then pulling up theloosened shingles to expose the next row of shingle fasteners down theslope of the roof. Removal proceeds down the slope of the roof until thelast row of shingles are removed next to the lower roof edge. Sometimesa prying tool is forced under an edge of a shingle and the shingle ispushed away from the sheeting, pulling out shingle fasteners at the sametime.

Several types of tools are known for removing shingles from roofs. Sometools are forced under a shingle and then cut or break a shinglefastener, thereby freeing the shingle for removal. Part of the cut orbroken shingle fastener remains embedded in part of the roof. Othertools are forced between overlapping layers of singles or alternativelybetween a shingle and the sheeting, then rocked or twisted to separatethe shingles. However, it may be very tiring to remove many shingles byrepeatedly forcing a tool between tightly attached layers of shinglesand sheeting and then applying sufficient force to pull out the shinglefasteners. Some tools cause a shingle to break or split during removal,resulting in additional effort to remove all the pieces. Furthermore, itis sometimes difficult to avoid gouging or splitting the sheeting duringshingle removal, which may weaken the sheeting or make attachment of newshingles more difficult.

What is needed is a manual tool for removing shingles from roofs withskip sheeting that applies an amount of mechanical advantage to a forceexerted by a person to quickly and efficiently remove a shingle, withthe shingle preferably being removed in one piece, without damaging thesheeting, and without requiring the tool to be repeatedly forced betweenlayers of shingles and sheeting.

SUMMARY

The present invention relates to a manually-operated tool to removeshingles from a roof having skip sheeting. In one embodiment, a shingleremoval tool built in accord with the invention comprises a shaft, atransverse handle attached about halfway along a length of the handle toa first end of the shaft, a lifting blade attached on a back end of thelifting blade to a second end of the shaft, and a fulcrum bar attachedto the shaft with a longest dimension of the fulcrum bar perpendicularto a longest dimension of the shaft. The fulcrum bar has a lengthgreater than a distance separating adjacent rows of sheeting boards.Alternatively, a fulcrum bar has a length greater than a width of asheeting board. A front end of the lifting blade is wedge-shaped. Handgrips may optionally be installed over opposite ends of the handle. Insome embodiments, a distance between a top surface of the lifting bladeand an axis of the fulcrum bar is selected to position the upper surfaceof the lifting blade lower than a top surface of a sheeting board whilethe fulcrum bar is resting on the top surface of the sheeting board.

In some embodiments, the lifting blade is attached to the shaft bywelding or equivalent strong attachment means. In other embodiments, theshaft and the lifting blade are formed from one piece of metal. Someembodiments have one lifting blade and other embodiments have more thanone lifting blade. A width of the lifting blade is chosen so that thelifting blade fits in a gap between adjacent rows of sheeting boards.For embodiments having more than one lifting blade, a separationdistance between lifting blades is chosen to be larger than a width of asheeting board. Some embodiments have a fulcrum bar that is long enoughto contact more than two sheeting boards.

In some embodiments, a cross-sectional shape of the shaft and thelifting blade are approximately the same. In other embodiments, theshaft has a solid round or alternatively a hollow round cross sectionand the lifting blade has a rectangular cross section or otheralternatively some other flattened shape. In some embodiments the shaftis straight and in other embodiments the shaft is formed with a curvedsurface.

In some embodiments, a lifting blade is formed from two pieces of metaljoined together at an obtuse angle by welding. In other embodiments, thelifting blade is formed from a single piece of curved metal. Inembodiments having more than one lifting blade, a back surface of thelifting blade may be attached to the fulcrum bar.

Embodiments of the invention are manually operated by placing a liftingblade between two adjacent rows of sheeting boards with a top surface ofthe lifting blade in contact with a back surface of a shingle and thefulcrum bar above the top surfaces of adjacent rows of sheeting boards.A person presses downward on the handle, causing a rotation about anaxis through the fulcrum bar and thereby causing the lifting blade topush upward against the back surface of the shingle. A sufficient amountof downward pressure is applied to push the shingle and shinglefasteners away from the sheeting board. Neighboring shingles and theirshingle fasteners may also loosened by a single motion of an embodimentof a shingle removal tool.

This section summarizes some features of the present embodiment. Theseand other features, aspects, and advantages of the embodiments of theinvention will become better understood with regard to the followingdescription and upon reference to the following drawings, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of an embodiment of a shingle removal tool.

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 in position toremove a shingle from a roof with skip sheeting.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 showing a verticalseparation distance between a fulcrum bar and a lifting blade andfurther showing an angle between a shaft and a lifting blade.

FIG. 4 illustrates an embodiment having a shaft and a lifting bladeformed in one piece.

FIG. 5 represents a cross section of a lifting blade. In someembodiments, FIG. 5 is a cross section of a handle.

FIG. 6 represents a cross section of a handle for some embodiments.

FIG. 7 represents a cross section of a handle for some embodiments.

FIG. 8 is a pictorial view of an embodiment having two lifting blades.

FIG. 9 is a pictorial view of the embodiment of FIG. 8 in position toremove a shingle from a roof with skip sheeting.

FIG. 10 is pictorial view of a lifting blade formed in one piece with abend.

DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the invention include a manual tool for removing shinglesfrom a roof. Devices built in accord with the invention are particularlysuited for removing wooden shingles from a roof having skip sheeting,although shingles made from other materials may also be removed. Some ofthe benefits of the embodiments of the invention include, but are notlimited to, rapid and efficient shingle removal from roofs having skipsheeting, shingle removal without damage to sheeting boards, generationof a shingle removal force that is proportionally greater than a forceapplied by a person to a handle of an embodiment, removal of more thanone shingle with a single operating motion of an embodiment, andoperation of embodiments of the invention by a person in a standing,crouching, or kneeling position.

In an embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, a shingle removal tool 1comprises a shaft 3 having a gripping portion near a first end. In someembodiments, the gripping portion is a handle 2. In other embodiments,the gripping portion may be curved, round, elliptical, or other shapes,or a portion of the shaft 3 may be adapted for secure gripping by ahand. A second end of the shaft 3 is connected to a back end of alifting blade 4. A front end 6 of the lifting blade 4 is wedge-shaped. Afulcrum bar 5 is attached to a back side of the shaft 3. A length of thefulcrum bar 5 is at least as large as a distance from an edge of asheeting board to an edge on an adjacent sheeting board so that thefulcrum bar 5 may be positioned above at least two top surfaces on twoor more adjacent sheeting boards. In one embodiment, the fulcrum bar 5is about nine inches (23 centimeters) long, the shaft is about 30 inches(76 centimeters) long, and the lifting blade is about 3 inches (7.6centimeters) wide and about ten inches (25 centimeters) long. Otherembodiments may be made by changing these dimensions singly or incombination.

A preferred material for the shaft 3 and the lifting blade 4 is an alloyof steel selected for resilience, strength, and suitability for joiningby welding. The handle 2 and fulcrum bar 5 may optionally be made fromthe same alloy of steel used in the shaft 3 and lifting blade 4, or adifferent steel alloy may be used. A preferred method of joining thelifting blade 4 to the shaft 3, the shaft 3 to the handle 2, and thefulcrum bar 5 to the shaft 3 is welding, but other strong attachmentmeans such as bolting may also be used.

The embodiment of FIG. 1 is shown in a position to remove a shingle froma roof having skip sheeting in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, two sheetingboards 8 are separated by a gap of about the same width as the width ofa sheeting board. A shingle 9 is attached to a top surface of a firstsheeting board 8 by at least one shingle fastener 10. Examples ofshingle fasteners include, but are not limited to, roofing nails andstaples. The sheeting boards 8, shingle 9, and shingle fasteners 10 areparts of a roof having skip sheeting. FIG. 2 shows a shingle 9 attachedto a sheeting board 8 by two shingle fasteners 10, but the number andpositions of shingle fasteners holding a shingle is variable. The frontend 6 of the lifting blade is visible in FIG. 2, with a position of thelifting blade between the sheeting boards 8 indicated by hidden (dashed)lines. The fulcrum bar 5 rests on a top surface of adjacent sheetingboards 8.

A person manually operates the embodiment of FIG. 2 to remove theshingle 9 and the shingle fasteners 10 from the sheeting boards 8 bypressing downward on the handle 2, where “down” is a direction towardthe outer surface of the roof. Alternatively, a person may press down ata convenient position on the shaft 3. A downward force on the handle 2causes a rotation about a rotation axis through the fulcrum bar 5,causing the top surface of the lifting blade to press against a backsurface of the shingle 9. A sufficient amount of force is applied tocause the shingle 9 and shingle fasteners 10 to separate from thesheeting boards 8. For manual pressure applied against the handle 2, theforce applied against the shingle by the lifting blade is proportionalto a separation distance between the handle and the rotation axisthrough the fulcrum bar divided by a separation distance between therotation axis through the fulcrum bar and the end of the lifting blade.For the embodiment of FIG. 1, a constant of proportionality, that is, avalue representing an amount of mechanical advantage, is greater thanone. In other words, the force applied against the shingle is greaterthan the force applied by a person using the embodiment. A method ofchoosing a length for the shaft 3 is to select a length that permits theembodiment to be used by a person in a preferred operating position, forexample standing, crouching, or kneeling. Another method is to choose alength that provides a preferred amount of mechanical advantage forshingle removal.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2, a vertical distance separates arotational axis 11 of the fulcrum bar 5 from the top surface of thelifting blade 4. The vertical distance is also shown in FIG. 3, wherethe vertical distance marked “D” represents a separation between therotational axis 11 of the fulcrum bar 5 and the top surface of thelifting blade 4. The vertical distance “D” enables the lifting blade toreach under a row of shingles between adjacent sheeting boards while thelifting blade is supported by two or more sheeting boards, therebyeliminating the need to repeatedly force an end of the lifting blade 6between layers of shingles or between shingles and a sheeting board toaccomplish shingle removal. Operation of embodiments of the invention istherefore fast and efficient and does not tire an operator as quickly asmethods and tools previously known in the art. Alternative embodimentsmay be made with vertical distance “D” in a range from about 0.6 inch(15.9 millimeters) to about 4.0 inches (101.6 millimeters). In oneembodiment having a fulcrum bar 5 with a diameter of 2.0 inches (50.8millimeters), distance D is 1.25 inches (31.8 millimeters),corresponding to a vertical separation between the top surface of thelifting blade 4 and a bottom portion of the outside surface of thefulcrum bar 5 of 0.25 inch (6.4 millimeters).

FIG. 3 illustrates an angle “C” formed between the shaft 3 and thelifting blade 4. The magnitude of angle “C” affects the amount of clearwork space needed to remove a shingle and also affects an amount ofmechanical advantage by an embodiment. In alternative embodiments, angle“C” has a range from about 120 degrees to about 150 degrees. In oneembodiment, angle “C” is about 135 degrees.

The handle 2 and the fulcrum bar 5 may be hollow cylinders as in FIG. 1and FIG. 3. In other embodiments, the handle 2 and the fulcrum bar 5 maybe solid cylinders. In one embodiment, a diameter of the handle 2 and adiameter of the fulcrum bar 5 are about 1 inch (25 millimeters).Alternatively, the fulcrum bar may be formed with a cross section havinga distinct edge, such as a triangle, a square, or a rectangle, and anedge of the fulcrum bar acts as an axis of rotation. For a fulcrum barcomprising a distinct edge, the edge may comprise the rotation axis.

The positions of two sectional views are marked in FIG. 3. Section A-Ais a section through the shaft 3. Section B-B is a section through thelifting blade 4. Some alternative examples of cross-sectional shapes atSection A-A are shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7. The shaft 3 may optionallybe formed with other cross-sectional shapes than those illustrated inthe figures. FIG. 5 shows a preferred cross-sectional shape for sectionB-B. A lifting blade 4 having a flattened cross-sectional shape as inFIG. 5 is particularly suited for lifting thin, fragile, cracked, orsplit shingles in a single motion, thereby reducing a number ofoperating motions and improving an efficiency of shingle removal.

In some embodiments, the shaft 3 and the lifting blade 4 are formed asone piece. An embodiment having the shaft 3 and the lifting blade 4formed as one piece is shown in FIG. 4. The angle “C” and the verticalseparation “D” are marked in FIG. 4 for comparison to FIG. 3. In oneembodiment, a cross section of the shaft 3 marked as section A-A in FIG.4 and a cross section of the lifting blade marked as section B-B isrectangular as shown in FIG. 5. In other embodiments, the shaft is roundas shown in the cross sections of FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 and the liftingblade 4, formed by forging or a similar process to form a flattenedshape from round material, is rectangular as in FIG. 5.

Removal of thin, brittle, split, or cracked shingles may be made easierby a shingle removal tool 1 having more than one lifting blade 4, as inFIG. 8. The lifting blades 4 are attached to a side of a fulcrum bar 5.The fulcrum bar 5 is attached to a side of a handle 3 as previouslydescribed for other embodiments. A length of the fulcrum bar 5 may belonger than a length of the fulcrum bar in embodiments having a singlelifting blade. For example, a length of the fulcrum bar 5 may be aboutthe same as a distance across three adjacent sheeting boards. A distanceseparating a lifting blade 4 from an adjacent lifting blade 4 isselected so that the two lifting blades 4 will fit into the two gapsbetween three adjacent sheeting boards 8, as shown in FIG. 9. FIG. 8 andFIG. 9 also show the handle 2 without the optional hand grips 7 fromFIG. 1.

FIG. 9 shows an embodiment of a shingle removal tool 1 in a position toremove shingles 9 from adjacent sheeting boards 8. Three shingles 9 areattached to three sheeting boards 8 by pairs of shingle fasteners 10 inthe example of FIG. 9. Some shingle fasteners 10 are drawn with hidden(dashed) lines to indicate they are below the topmost shingle 9.Pressing down on the handle 2 causes a rotation about the fulcrum bar 5as previously explained. However, in the embodiment of FIG. 8 and FIG.9, the two lifting blades cause the top two shingles 9 to be loosened inone operational motion. Neighboring shingles and shingle fasteners mayalso be loosened in the same operational motion.

In FIG. 8, each of the lifting blades 4 comprise an upper part and alower part joined by welding to make a single lifting blade. In analternate embodiment, a lifting blade is formed as a single piece with acurved edge. An embodiment of a curved lifting blade 4 is shown in FIG.10.

The present disclosure is to be taken as illustrative rather than aslimiting the scope, nature, or spirit of the subject matter claimedbelow. Numerous modifications and variations will become apparent tothose skilled in the art after studying the disclosure, including use ofequivalent functional and/or structural substitutes for elementsdescribed herein, use of equivalent functional couplings for couplingsdescribed herein, or use of equivalent functional steps for stepsdescribed herein. Such insubstantial variations are to be consideredwithin the scope of what is contemplated here. Moreover, if pluralexamples are given for specific means, or steps, and extrapolationbetween or beyond such given examples is obvious in view of the presentdisclosure, then the disclosure is to be deemed as effectivelydisclosing and thus covering at least such extrapolations.

Unless expressly stated otherwise herein, ordinary terms have theircorresponding ordinary meanings within the respective contexts of theirpresentations, and ordinary terms of art have their correspondingregular meanings.

1. A tool for removing a shingle from a roof having skip sheeting,comprising: a shaft having a first end, a second end, and a grippingportion for a hand near said first end of said shaft; a fulcrum barattached perpendicularly to said shaft; and a lifting blade joined tosaid second end of said shaft.
 2. The tool of claim 1, furthercomprising: said fulcrum bar further comprising a rotation axis and alength; said lifting blade further comprising a top side; said shaftfurther comprising a side; a vertical separation distance between saidrotation axis of said fulcrum bar and said top side of said liftingblade; and an obtuse angle between said side of said shaft and said topside of said lifting blade.
 3. The tool of claim 2, wherein saidvertical separation distance has a value in a range from 0.6 inch (15.9millimeters) to 4.0 inches (101.6 millimeters).
 4. The tool of claim 3,wherein said obtuse angle has a value in a range from 120 degrees to 150degrees.
 5. The tool of claim 4, wherein said lifting blade furthercomprises a front end having a wedge shape.
 6. The tool of claim 5,wherein said roof having skip sheeting comprises at least two sheetingboards having an intervening separation distance and said length of saidfulcrum bar is greater than the intervening separation distance betweensheeting boards.
 7. The tool of claim 6, wherein said shaft and saidfirst lifting blade are joined by welding.
 8. The tool of claim 6,wherein said shaft and said first lifting blade are formed as one piecehaving a bend angle between said top side of said lifting blade and saidside of said shaft, and said bend angle corresponds to said obtuseangle.
 9. A tool for removing a shingle from a roof having skipsheeting, comprising: a shaft having a first end, a second end, a side,and a gripping portion for a hand near said first end; a fulcrum barhaving a length and a rotation axis, wherein said fulcrum bar isattached halfway along said length of said fulcrum bar perpendicularlyto said shaft; a first lifting blade having a first end, a second end, afirst surface having an edge in common with an edge of said first end ofsaid first lifting blade, a second surface having an edge in common withan edge of said second end of said first lifting blade, and an obtuseangle between a portion of said first surface near said first end ofsaid first lifting blade and a portion of said second surface near saidsecond end of said first lifting blade; a second lifting blade having afirst end, a second end, a first surface having an edge in common withan edge of said first end of said second lifting blade, a second surfacehaving an edge in common with an edge of said second end of said secondlifting blade, and an obtuse angle between a portion of said firstsurface near said first end of said second lifting blade and a portionof said second surface near said second end of said second liftingblade; and a vertical separation distance between said rotation axis ofsaid fulcrum bar and said second surface of said first lifting blade,wherein said first and second lifting blades are joined to said fulcrumbar.
 10. The tool of claim 9, further comprising a separation distancebetween said first lifting blade and said second lifting blade, whereinsaid roof having skip sheeting comprises a sheeting board having awidth, and said separation distance between said first lifting blade andsaid second lifting blade is greater than the width of the sheetingboard.
 11. The tool of claim 10, wherein said first lifting bladecomprises at least two pieces joined by welding and said second liftingblade comprises at least two pieces joined by welding.
 12. The tool ofclaim 10, wherein said first lifting blade is formed as one piece havinga bend angle, said first and second surfaces of said first lifting bladeare portions of the same curved surface, said second lifting blade isformed as one piece having the same bend angle as said first liftingblade, said first and second surfaces of said second lifting blade areportions of the same curved surface, and said bend angle corresponds tosaid obtuse angle.
 13. A tool for removing a shingle from a roof havingskip sheeting, comprising: a shaft having a first end, a second end, anda side; a handle having a first end and a second end connected to saidshaft near said first end of said shaft; a first hand grip connected tosaid first end of said handle; a second hand grip connected to saidsecond end of said handle; a lifting blade having a first end, a secondend, and a top surface, wherein said second end is wedge-shaped and saidfirst end of said lifting blade is joined to said second end of saidshaft; a fulcrum bar having a first end and a second end attached abouthalfway between said first end of said fulcrum bar and said second endof said fulcrum bar perpendicularly to said shaft; said fulcrum barfurther comprising a rotation axis passing through said first end ofsaid fulcrum bar and said second end of said fulcrum bar; a verticalseparation distance between said rotation axis of said fulcrum bar andsaid top surface of said lifting blade; and an angle between said sideof said shaft and said top surface of said lifting blade, wherein saidangle is an obtuse angle, said roof having skip sheeting comprises asheeting board having a thickness, and said vertical separation distancebetween said rotation axis of said fulcrum bar and said top surface ofsaid lifting blade is greater than the thickness of the sheeting board.14. A method for removing shingles from a roof having skip sheetingcomprising: inserting a lifting blade on a shingle removal tool into agap between two adjacent sheeting boards in the roof; positioning afulcrum bar on the shingle removal tool above an upper surface of atleast two adjacent sheeting boards; positioning an upper surface of thelifting blade against a bottom surface of a shingle to be removed fromthe roof; manually applying a force against a handle of the shingleremoval tool in the direction of the outer surface of the roof, causingthe shingle removal tool to rotate about an axis through the fulcrum barand causing a surface of the lifting blade to press against the bottomsurface of the shingle; and increasing the amount of manual forceapplied against the handle of the shingle removal tool until the shingleis removed from the roof.